Method of and apparatus for producing gas.



G. H. BENJAMIN.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING GAS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.13, 1913.

1,1 05,241 Patented July 28, 1914.

5 mm Wfoo wane Mao e. W

UNITE STATES BATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE HILLARD BENJAMIN, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

viETHon 's AND APPARATUS FonrnonnciNe cAs.

Application filed January 13, 1913. Serial NO. 741,796.

To all whom it may concern,

Beit known that I, GEORGE HILLARD BEN- JAMIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, in the county and State of New York, have invented certaln new and useful Improvements in Methods of and Apparatus for Producing Gas, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists in a method of and apparatus for producing gas from coal,sawdust, street refuse, etc.

By reason of my improved method and apparatus, I am able to produce gas cheaply from the substances mentioned, and to onrich the gas by increasing the carbon element therein before delivery to the point of consumption.

The accompanying drawing is illustrative of an apparatus to which my method may be a plied, for the production of gas from sawdust. I a p In the drawing, A represents a gas producer and B a regenerator or recuperator for enriching the gas derived from the producer The producer A is designed for the production of gas from sawdust. I wish it understood that any form of producer may be used, such as iscommon in the production of gas from coal, street refuse, and the like. The producer described consists essentially of a combustion chamber 5, a feed chamber 6-, and a gas chamber 7. The combustionchamber is provided with walls 8 inclinedjfrom' above downward and outward-L gThis'const-ruction 1 find to be preferabl'e,--as it prevents choking of the com bustion chamber.v Located in the bottom of the combustion chamber is an inclined grate 9; Means is provided for feeding air under the grate, consisting of a pipe 10 connected to any suitable source of air supply and "discharging into an annular cham or 11, provided with openings .12. Situated in the walls of the combustion chamber are two sets of electrodes 13-14, respectively connected through conductors 15-16 to the terniinals of a dynamo electric machine 17 18 indicates a switch controlling the current delivered to the electrodes. The elec+ trodes 18-44 are shown as arranged equidistant around the combustion chamber. They may, however, be otherwise arranged The purpose of the electrodes is to provide in the combustion chamber when desired, as hereafter explained.

The feedingchamber 6 is provided with a cover 19. The gas chamber 7 is shown as located above the combustion chamber and consists of two annular chambers 7- b which communicate at their tops through openings 7 The bottom 20 of this chamber, inclined in a downward direction. Situated within the chamber are a series of perforated pipes 21, varying in length in accordance with thedepth of the chamber. These pipes are connected to a pipe 22 connected to any source of water supply. The gas chamber is connected at nts bottom through a pipe 23 to a vertical pipe 2 1, which is connected at its upper end to a pipe 25 in which is a controlling v'lve 26.

Situated in the upper end (iii the pipe 24 is a perforated pipe 27 connected to the source of water supply pipe 22. The lower end of the pipe 24 is' situated in a well 28. The upper end of thepipe 25 is open to the atmosphere. The lower end is situated'and adapted to discharge into the bottom of the gas regenerator or rec'u erator 5B.

29 indicates a cont-r0 ling va lve near the lower end of the pipe 25. Situated in the lower end of the pipe 25 is a pipe 30 provided with a controlling valve 31.. Pipe 30 may be connected to any suitable source of air supply.

sists of arecuperator chamber 32, the lower end of which is closed by a water seal of ash pit 38. On the top of the producer is a feed hopper 34, stirring opening 35, and test opening 36. I

37 indicates a gas flue from the regenerator or recuperator. V 5

Situated within the recuperatoi; chamber are three series of electrodes; 38 connected to one --terminal of the dynamo machine 17 and which coact with asingie electrode or terminal 39 connected to the opposite ter minal of the dynamo-machine, and 40 which are connected to one terminal of the dynamo machine and which coact with electrodes 41 connected to the other-terminal of the dy namo machine, Suitable switches 42- 43,

rovide means for controlling the current fed to the electrodes.

means for creating a high temperature with- The regenerator or recuperate! B chn- My improved method is carried out, and the operation of the apparatus described, may be as follows: Sawdust is charged into the feed chamber of the producer A and 5 fills the'c'ombustion and feed chambers up to approximately the point indicated by the dotted line at X. The valve 26 in pipe 25 is then turned to a position opposite to that shown, and a fire lighted in the bottom of the producer and air under pressure driven through the pipe 10 into the annular chamber-11, and thence distributed through the openings 12, through the grate 9 into the bottom of the combustion chamber. The smoke and products of combustion, upon lighting the fire, pass to the gas'chamber 7. thence through the pipes 23-2425 to the atmosphere. After the-fire is 'well establishedthe airpressure is shut off and the valve 26in pipe .25 turned to the position shown in the drawing, en the air pressure is shut 01f, the alr suppliedto the producer- A is continued under the suction action ofan engine connected topipe .37 of. the recuperator B. As the gas is formed .-it'-*passes up into the gas chamber 7 and through sprays of water deliveredby the perforated pipes 21, the water flowing down the inclined bottom 20 of-the gas chamber 7 30 and thence through pipe 24 into the gas well 28.. -The water --serves-;to wash the-gas of tar. The gas leaves the gas chamber 7 by the pipe 23, passes. up pipe :24,-where.it is again sprayed by the perforated pipe 27,-

thence by pipe 25 downward to be dis charged into-the bottom of the gas regenerator or recuperator B. In case it is desired to increase the temperature in the combustion chamber 5, (as is the case in choking up the producer), overthat due to the ordinary-"combustion of, the material in the chamber, a current, of electricity maybe caused to pa'ssbetween the electrodes 13-44, the material in the chamber acting as a resistance medium..---

--;The gas regenerator or recuperator Ipre fer to-fill with coke or coal up to approxis mately-the level shown by the dotted line. Y, which, prior totheintroduction of the. gas

from the producer A has been ignited. Ignition may be accomplished by starting a fire in the ordinary way or causing an electric 1 current to pass between'series of electrodes 38-and the single electrode 39, which-pro:

duces an incandescent zone in the bottom of the producer at approximately the position occupied by the electrodes. If desired, a second incandescent zone may be created by causing. a current of electricity-to pass between the electrodes 40 and 41; It will-be understood that the coke or coal in the regenerator or recuperator acts as a resistance medium, and that the high temperature created in thelregenerator or re- 85 cuperator serves to disassociate the coke or coal, so that when the gas derived from the producer A, which is largely CO is transmitted through the,coke or coal generator or recuperator, it picks up carbon to form 2C0. As the coke-or coal is con sumed in the regenerator or recuperator, the ash is drawn out through the ash pit 33, and further cokeor coal may be introduced through the hopper 34. With some cokes and coals I finditpreferable to introduce a small body of air with the gas, into the bottom of the recupe-rator through the pipe 30.

It will be observed that by the arrange ment of the electrode 39 and electrodes 38 in the bottom'of the regenerator or recuperator, the incandescent zone at this point is from electrode 38 to the electrode 39 at one instant, and from the electrode 39 to the electrode 38 at the next instant, across the body o 'material in the chamber and that bythe arrangement of the electrodes 40 and 41, the incandescent zone is between pairs 0,; ellectrodes and inproximity to the walls 0 t bodyof fuel in the chamber, the center of the body of fuel being practically free for any transmitted electric current, which arrangement is found to be of advantage for the following reasons:

- In the lower zone the temperature is across the entire body the sides of the body of fuel; thus the lower zone acts, to. disassoci'ate the gas entering through the pipe 25, and disassociate the gas following the walls of the furnace, the zone acts to supply carbon to the. disassociated gas. t times during the operation of the regenerator or recuperator it may beffound desirable to cut out the electric e chamber, and not across the whole the upper zone a to.

in the reof fuel, in the upper zone at current in the lower or the upper zone, which can berdone by switches. a

It will be understood by those skilled in the art to which this invention belongs that in the production of productionof CO is large and variable, and that to convert this gas mto a' fuel gas, it is necessary to introduce further carbon, which can beaccomplished'by means of the regeneratoror recuperator as described; and that the producer and regenerator or recuperator considered collectively, are the means by which" the method of producing a high carbon gas may be carried into effect. Further, that where the gas producer is operated with coal, and the 'regenerator or .recuperator operated with coal, the two devices coact to produce a-high carbon gas, in which case the -regenerator or recuperator acts not only to improve the quality the 'producer-A,-but-also serves as a gas producer,=-to increase the amount of gas produced.- It wil1= be -;fu-rther junderstoodby means of the controlling those skilled in the art, that the gas proi. l I

110 gas from sawdust, the V '12s of the gas derived from 1 35 ing the CO of such gas into 200.

ducer as also the gas regenerator or recuperator are of the type known as suction producers, regenerators or recuperators, and that the gas delivery pipe 37 is assumed to be connected to the suction apparatus, as for instance the induction pipe of a gas engine.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. A method of producing gas, which consists in diasssociating a gas producing body, washing the gas, and passing the gas through a zone of carbonaceous material heated and maintained at a high temperature by the passage of an electric current therethrough whereby CO carried by the gas is converted into 200.

2. A method of producing gas, which consists in disassociating a gas producing body such as sawdust, washing out therefrom such substances as may be absorbed or.

' condensed by water, passing the gas through a zone of carbonaceous material heated and maintained at a high temperature by the passage of an electric current therethrough and converting the CO carried by the gas into 2C0.

3. A method of producing gas, which consists in disassociatlng a gas producing body to form CO and CO washing the gas to separate tar and anmionia therefrom, then passing the gas through a zone of carbonaceous material heated to and maintained at a high temperature b the passage of an electric current theret rough, and convert- 4. A method of producing gas, which consists in disassociatin a gas producing .body to form CO and C washing the substances from such gas which may be absorbed or condensed by water, then passing the gas through a zone of carbonaceous ma terial heated to and maintained at a high temperature b the passage of an electric current theret rough, converting the CO by the addition of carbon into 200, and

then adding to the originally roduced gas, the gas derived from the high y heated carbonaceous material.

5. 'A method of producing gas, which consists in burning sawdust in a closed suction producer, washing. the gas set free to re- 'move therefrom all matters which may be absorbed or condensed by water, passing the gas through a suction regenerator or r'ecuperator containing a zone of carbonaceous material heated to and maintained at a high temperature by the passage of an electric current.

6. An apparatus for producing gas, comprising a suction gas producer, means for washing the produced gas, a suction regenerator or recuperator, and means in said regenerator or recuperator for converting any CO gas derived from the gas producer .in disassociatin the produced gas, a regenerator or recuperator, and means 1n said regenerator or recuperator for creating and maintaining a zone of temperature therein sulficiently high to convert any CO as derived from the gas producer into 2 O and substantially free from nitrogen.

t). An apparatus for producing gas, comprising a gas producer adapted to produce CO and 00 means for washing the produced gas, a regenerator or recuperator, means therein for continuously converting the CO gas derived from the producer into 2G0 and for producing CO and substantially free from nitrogen.

10. An apparatus for producing CO gas substantially free from nitrogen, comprising a producer adapted to produce CO and CO means for washing the produced gas, a regenerator or recuperator, means in said regenerator or recuperator for creating and maintainin a zone of high temperature therein su ciently high to convert the CO gas derived from the gas producer into 200 and produce CO.

.11. A method of producing CO gas substantiall free from nitrogen, which consists in isassociating a gas producing body to set free CO and C0,, washing these gases, passing these gases through a zone of carbonaceous material heated and maintained at a high temperature whereby the CO is converted into 2G0, and simultaneously producing a further amount of CO from a second gas producing body, and mixing all of the gases. 12. A method of producing CO gas substantially free from nitrogen, which consists a gas producing body to set free CO an CO washing these ases, passing these gases through a body o carbonaceous material heated to and maintained at a high temperature by the action of electric currents between electrodes so disposed as to use the carbonaceous material as a resistance medium, whereby the carbon dioxid of the gases of combustion are disassociated to form carbon monoxid therefrom, together with a fresh amount of carbon monoxid from the carbonaceous material. e

13-. A method of producing CO gas substantially free from nitrogen, which consists'in disassociating a gas producing body to set free CO and CO Washing these gases, passing these gases through a body of carbmnaceous material raised to and maintained amount of carbon mmmxit! fmm the carbo- 10 at :1V high temperature in zones therein by mesons material.

the actien of electric currents between e'lec- In testhnony whereof, I efiix my signatrvodesse disposed as to use the carbonaceous ture, in the presence of two witnesses.

:5 material as aresistance medium, regulating GEORGE ARD BENJAMIN the temperature. of such zones, wheneby the carbon dioxid 9f the hot waste gases of om- Witnesses: bust-ion are 'dlsassociated to term carbon IIRLEN E. Komlscn, menoxid therefrom, together with a fresh Tms'rER O; TAYLOR. 

